We at the NPCA have been quite taken by the tremendous response by you to the House vote on bill S-360 last Tuesday. Thank you for your comments to us, to your Congressional representative, to Speaker Hastert, and/or to Congresswoman McCollum. Our voices were heard, but unfortunately not well enough heeded.

We sent a letter this morning to President Bush. It will not change the outcome, but it stated our position. We will copy the text of that letter below, for your reference.

We were just informed that a ceremony will take place tomorrow morning in the Rose Garden to officially rename the Peace Corps headquarters building after the late Senator Paul Coverdell.

Thank you for your efforts on this issue. As some have pointed out, we also need this level of involvement and energy on other critical issues, such as those dealing with health, hunger and poverty. We look forward to your continued activity and involvement through our Advocacy Network. We hope you can join us for Advocacy Day at the Peace Corps 40th Anniversary Conference here in Washington, DC on September 20, 2001. For more information, visit our website at http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=305 .

Dane Smith President

July 24, 2001

The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing on behalf of the National Peace Corps Association, which represents over 160,000 former Peace Corps Volunteers and staff members who have served our nation in 135 developing countries over the past 40 years.

We respectfully request that S-360 - which deals with the Peace Corps - not be signed in its present form. Section 1 of the bill would name the Peace Corps headquarters after the late Senator Paul Coverdell, Peace Corps Director 1989-91. We believe this would be inappropriate.

Our opposition to Section 1 of the bill does not in any way reflect disrespect for Senator Coverdell. On the contrary, we honor him as a distinguished former Peace Corps Director and for his stalwart support of the Peace Corps as a Senator. In fact, on September 23rd, as part of the Peace Corps 40th Anniversary Celebration, the NPCA will pay a warm tribute to Senator Coverdell during the Gala evening at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. We hope you and Mrs. Bush will be able to join us.

I hasten to mention that the NPCA does support the other parts of S.360, such as Section 2, concerning the Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools Program. This wonderful program was developed under his leadership and he widely championed it.

Our view is that the "heart" of the Peace Corps is the 160,000 volunteers who have served overseas since 1961. It is their commitment, their creativity, their perseverance and their sacrifices which have made Peace Corps the world's most successful grassroots development organization over four decades. While talented directors have made great contributions to the agency, the central credit for Peace Corps' success belongs to the individual volunteers. The central truth exemplified by the Peace Corps is that an individual American, highly motivated and trained in the local language and culture, can make a difference in people's lives overseas at the local level. It is in this light that we feel that naming the Peace Corps headquarters after any one person is not appropriate.

We hope, Mr. President, that you will consider seriously these concerns and that you will not sign the bill into law in its present form.

Sincerely,

Dane F. Smith President

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